Looks like West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee will be listening to the chants of Jai Shri Ram much more than she had expected. While flagging off a Rath Yatra, the chief minister was welcomed to the sounds of Jai Shri Ram in Hooghly district

Serampore: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee was greeted with ''Jai Shri Ram'' slogans by BJP supporters once again when she visited the Mahesh area in Hooghly district to inaugurate the 623-year-old Ratha Yatra festival on Thursday (July 4).

The slogan was heard from a section of the gathering as Mamata was alighting from the dais amidst chants of ''Jai Jagannath'' over the public address system.

Mahesh, which is about 24 km from Kolkata, falls under Serampore Lok Sabha constituency which was won by Trinamool Congress's Kalyan Banerjee.

The BJP supporters, who had been cordoned off by the police even before the programme started, raised the slogan '”Jai Shri Ram” as police escorted Mamata to the vehicle waiting for her and she was whisked away.

The Trinamool Congress chief has been attacked by the BJP for her angry reaction to ''Jai Shri Ram'' slogans at Bhatpara in North 24 Parganas district in May. A similar incident had taken place Chandrakona in West Midnapore district.

At the programme, Mamata announced Rs 15 crore package for popularising the Mahesh Rath Yatra and construction of an eco-tourism park in the town.

The chief minister said that her government was focusing on the development of pilgrimage centres across the state.

"We have developed civic and religious amenities in pilgrim centres such as Tarakeswar, Tarapith, Furfura Sharif and Dakshineshwar. We will do the same at Mahesh," she said.